HELP - i've badly cocked up

[vish]

Hey again folks,

thought i'd create a new thread just to try and get as much attention as I'm in dire straights...and pretty gutted.

first off - i'm an idiot...skip to the end and see the pic if you want to know why...

for anyone who didnt know, my v6 had slave cylinder issues so i replaced the slave. went to tighten up the front gearbox bracket bolts and one was ok; the other the threads were stripped.

So about two weekends ago, in my wisdom I took the car to Crail and couldnt resist a run up the quarter mile with ONE bolt holding the bracket. The gears didnt shift smooth and the clutch felt bad so I backed off. If I had listened to Adams advice(cheers again for that mate!) I would have helicoiled the other bolt hole and had two holding it nicely.

So after Crail, I retapped and got a beasty m12 19mm bolt in (of the two its the top bolt nearest slave) only to realise the other bolt had now lost its threads. So for the meantime I wacked it in with some locktite and found what I thought were some threads. Anyway to cut a long story short, last night I thought - why not test the strength of the bracket and feel the smooth gearchanges. It went well off the line but then the clutch pedal died. the bottom bracket bolt was missing and I had sheared the furthest from the nipples slave bracket (the one you bolt through from the top onto the gearbox) and WORSE did this to the bottom hole in the box:





And the bolt came out like this:



The cars running some serious tranny mods but thats no excuse for my driving.

I know ive made some serious mistakes here but is there any saving this situation? Can a weld be put in and a new hole redrilled? The other furthest away hole is fine... Or is it the case that a new box is required. Either way I'm assuming there is no way that this can be done without removing the box...which would be a real gutter after just putting it all back together.

Cheers in advance for any help

Vish

[headcase]

That looks like that need tig welding up and then re drill and tap out. Most tig welders would want the box out if u was closer i have a go to do in place but would be tight and the alloy will have to be clean is there anybody up your way with a tig would give a try .

[cdwood2010]

Even bolting the slave in while it's in situ is a bugger. I agree with Patrick, you probably need the box back out to get a decent job done on it.

I know it's a pain in the arse, but a good couple of hours will see the box on the floor.

Chris.

[adamh]

any future swappers should at the very least use loctite 648 and check the bolts can hold 80nm/60ftlb wether its an S54 or E153, and if you can get it helicoiled, do it before it breaks. if you cant then you cant.
you have no chance of doing a proper repair without removing the box. you need to penetrate the weld past the major diameter of the ring gear then grind it back for maximum metal condition. the welder may need to preheat it also , depends on the rods/the welder/the metal. Use m12.1.75 stainless helicoils. Use loctite 648 (not any other like 222/243/242 all thin as shit and only good for normal bolt holding), we need to fill the gap bwteen the root diameters important so it cant move under load.. you can see the load applied in that great example shot ^ ! and torque them up to 80nm/60ftlb . you would be about number 8 that ive seen fail to this, the first was the second 3vz mr2 in u.k after it was built, which i repaired in situ. and its not isolated to v6 swaps, i brought a running rear clip from a turbo, same problem on the E153. good luck vish!

[Tommytank]

I really wanna say I'll be round this weekend armed with the toolbox dude but the good lady will kill me if I dingy DIY again. You pulling it out this weekend?

[Paul Woods]

Gearbox out and have it properly repaired Vish.

[adamh]

something i forgot to mention yesterday, the condition of the front and rear engine mounts plays a big part in this, if they are knackered then it will allow the engine to swing up and and down ferociously and apply energy to this mount in a bad way, if the mounts are in prime condition with little movement you are less likely to get damage to the mounting threads as more power is put to the wheels. i solidified my front and rear mounts with the shore 70 resin, they dont move a cm, i can live with the vibration (non existent really) . check your mount condition also if the fronts reinforced it will help.

[vish]

Cheers for all the help folks!

Got a mate who can tig weld and would probably make sense just to drop the whole unit out engine and box, do it right and put it back in! I don't fancy splitting the box off because it's just too tight isn't it?

Tommy not yet just out of the hospital yesterday got my tonsils out! Shall look at getting if done in July sometime! Any help appreciated :p

[cdwood2010]

If you drop the engine down on the gearbox end until the crank pulley touches the chassis it's not too bad. Get the car high up so you have room to move and make sure the shallow end of the dump is sat nice and firm on something solid. It makes the process a whole lot easier Shen its not all swinging about.

You do of course need to drop the gearbox oil and remove the shafts and crossmember, but it's all jolly good practice.

Let us know here if you need any guidance.

Chris.

[sketchy]

properly repaired is the way to go.

but there is a bodge alternative, and I mean bodge, even chris would think its suspect...lol

you could get some 3mm plate and fold it round the trans/engine flange(secured by the trans->engine bolts, and another somewhere to stop it flopping around on the other end, and use that as a bracket for the slave cylinder and tap the holes in the slave....

probably easier just to fix it properly though.